Conventionally, in a communication match-up game executed among a plurality of game apparatuses via a network, if a player falls into a disadvantageous situation, an illegal act of forcibly disconnecting the communication between the game apparatuses to make the match-up invalid is widely spread.
One example of the related art for preventing such an illegal act is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-212288 [A63F 13/12] (Document 1) laid open on Aug. 17, 2006. In the illegal act preventing method disclosed in the Document 1, in a case that a connection between a LAN in a store and a game apparatus is disconnected by a player, abnormal processing is executed so as to be acted as a deterrent to an illegal act onward. For example, a game apparatus transmits and receives packets with another game apparatus via a router during execution of a network match-up game. In a case that no packet is received after a lapse of a predetermined time, a response request is transmitted to the router. If there is no response from the router, by regarding that the player intentionally disconnects an internal network, abnormal processing, such as a forcibly ending the game, recording a score at a time of the disconnection is performed. This makes it possible for the player to lose his or her will to an illegal act of intentionally causing a communication failure by unplugging an LAN cable, etc. in a case that a development of the game is at a disadvantage situation.
The illegal act preventing method disclosed in the above-described Document 1 is for making the player lose his or her will to an illegal act by performing the abnormal processing on the illegal act of forcibly disconnecting the communication by unplugging the LAN cable. However, the illegal act preventing method in the Document 1 is effective for preventing the illegal act of forcibly ending the game and the communication halfway at the disadvantageous situation, but it is difficult to prevent an illegal act of advantageously advancing the game by unexpectedly using the game program, such as remodeling (modifying) of the game software (game program), etc. and an unpleasant act of performing an excessive harassing behavior on an opponent, etc. Especially, such an illegal act and an unpleasant act are recently increasing, and effective measures are requested.
Therefore, it is a primary object of certain example embodiments to provide a novel game system, a novel storage medium and a novel game controlling method.
Another object certain example embodiments is to provide a game system, a storage medium and a game controlling method capable of preventing an illegal act of unexpectedly using a game program from occurring.
In addition, a still another object of certain example embodiments is to provide a game system, a storage medium and a game controlling method capable of preventing an act of making an opponent of the battle game feel unpleasant from occurring.
A first aspect is a game system performing a communication game, and comprises a refusal determiner and a restriction information updater. The refusal determiner determines whether or not one game apparatus is refused to continue the communication game by other game apparatus. The restriction information updater updates restriction information as to the communication game of the one game apparatus in correspondence with a determination result by the refusal determiner.
According to the first aspect, the restriction information of the game apparatus which is refused to continue the communication game is updated, and therefore, it is possible to indirectly detect a person who performs an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an unpleasant act of performing an excessive harassing behavior. Thus, it is possible to reduce and avoid such the illegal act and the unpleasant act.
A second aspect is according to the first aspect, and a game system further comprises a communication object selector. The communication object selector selects a game apparatus being an object of the communication game on the basis of the restriction information of each game apparatus.
According to the second aspect, a game apparatus being an object of the communication game is selected on the basis of the restriction information, and thus, it is possible to easily perform the selection.
A third aspect is according to the second aspect, and the communication object selector selects a plurality of game apparatuses having restriction information at least approximate to each other as objects of the communication game. For example, game apparatuses which have the same or the same level of the restriction information are selected as objects of the communication game.
According to the third aspect, the game apparatuses having restriction information at least approximate to each other are selected as objects of the communication game, and therefore, it is possible to select the players who are considered to have the same or similar evaluation earned from other players can be selected as the objects of the communication game.
A fourth aspect is according to the first aspect, and the game system further comprises a communication game processor which executes a communication game. This communication game processor reflects at least the restriction information of each game apparatus which is participating in the communication game on the processing of the communication game. For example, the player who is more frequently refused to continue the communication game based on the restriction information is determined to be a person who performs an illegal act and an unpleasant act, and thus, an attribute (offensive power, life, performance, etc.) of a player character of such a player is adjusted to be inferior to an attribute of a player character of another player.
According to the fourth aspect, the restriction information is reflected on the processing of the communication game, and therefore, it is possible to reduce and avoid an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an unpleasant act of performing an excessive harassing behavior, etc.
A fifth aspect is according to the fourth aspect, and a game system further comprises a comparator which compares the restriction information of the respective game apparatuses which are participating in the communication game. The communication game processor further reflects a comparison result by the comparator on the processing of the communication game. For example, in a case that a fighting game is played, the restriction information is compared between the game apparatuses (players), and depending on the comparison result, an offensive power of an offensive side is changed, or a decreased amount of a physical strength value of a defensive side is changed. That is, as to the player character operated by the player who performs an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an excessive harassing behavior, the offensive power is decreased, or the decreased amount of the physical strength value is increased.
In the fifth aspect as well, similar to the fourth aspect, it is possible to reduce and avoid an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an unpleasant act of performing an excessive harassing behavior, etc.
A sixth aspect is according to the fourth aspect, and the communication game processor exerts an influence on the communication game when the restriction information satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, assuming that the restriction information is an index in relation to an illegal act and an unpleasant act, in a case that it is determined that the player (frequently) performs the illegal act and the unpleasant act on the basis of such an index, the player is disadvantageously dealt in the communication game. On the contrary, in a case that it is determined that the player does not perform an illegal act and an unpleasant act, the player is advantageously dealt in the communication game. Any one of them may be executed.
According to the sixth aspect, an influence is exerted on the communication game based on the restriction information, and therefore, it is possible to reduce an illegal act of unexpectedly performing a game program and an unpleasant act of performing the excessive harassing behavior, etc.
A seventh aspect is according to the sixth aspect, and the communication game processor refuses participation itself in the communication game when a value based on the restriction information is equal to or more than a predetermined value. For example, in a case that it is determined that the player frequently performs an illegal act and an unpleasant act, the player is made not to participate in the communication game.
According to the seventh aspect, the player who frequently performs the illegal act and the unpleasant act is made not to participate in the communication game, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the acts before they occur.
An eighth aspect is according to the first aspect, and the refusal of a continuation of the communication game includes a disconnection during the communication game. For example, when other game apparatus which is communicating ends the communication game halfway and the communication during the communication game by turning the power off or by forcibly disconnecting the communication, it is determined that the continuation of the communication game is refused.
According to the eighth aspect, in a case that the game is ended halfway, it is possible to update the restriction information by determining that an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an unpleasant act of performing an excessive harassing behavior, etc. are performed.
A ninth aspect is according to the eighth aspect, wherein the refusal determiner determines that the one game apparatus is refused to continue the communication game by the other game apparatus when communication data from the other game apparatus is not received by the one game apparatus for a predetermined time.
According to the ninth aspect, in a case that communication data from the other game apparatus is not received for a predetermined time, it is determined that the continuation of the communication game is refused, and therefore, it is possible to indirectly detect that the game apparatus is powered off, or the communication is forcibly disconnected.
A tenth aspect is according to the first aspect, wherein a refusal of continuation of the communication game includes a refusal of participation in a next communication game.
According to the tenth aspect, in a case that participation in the next communication game is refused as well, it is possible to update the restriction information by determining that an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an unpleasant act of performing an excessive harassing behavior, etc. are performed in the immediately preceding communication game.
An eleventh aspect is according to the first aspect, and a game system further comprises a refusal information updater. The refusal information updater updates refusal information indicating the number of times that the other game apparatus refuses to continue the communication game. The restriction information updater further updates the restriction information as to the communication game of the one game apparatus on the basis of the refusal information updated by the refusal information updater.
According to the eleventh aspect, the number of times that the other game apparatus refuses is added when the restriction information of the one game apparatus is updated, and therefore, it is possible to prevent an act of intentionally updating the restriction information of the other game apparatus from occurring.
A twelfth aspect is according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the restriction information updater makes the degree of change in the restriction information small as the number indicated by the refusal information updated by the refusal information updater is large.
According to the twelfth aspect, as to the other game apparatus which frequently refuses to continue the communication game, for example, it is possible to make an influence given to the update of the restriction information of the one game apparatus less.
A thirteenth aspect is according to the first aspect, and a game system further comprises a refusal number detector which detects the number of other game apparatuses that refuses to continue the communication game. The restriction information updater further updates the restriction information as to the communication game of the one game apparatus on the basis of a detection result by the refusal number detector.
According to the thirteenth aspect, depending on the number of other game apparatuses that refuses the continuation of the game, the restriction information is updated. Thus, the restriction information of the one game apparatus that is refused to perform the communication game by a plurality of other game apparatuses at a time can be drastically changed, for example.
A fourteenth aspect is according to the first aspect, and a game system further comprises a participant register and a re-participating acceptor. The participant register registers the game apparatus which participates in the communication game as a participant at a start of the communication game. The re-participating acceptor accepts an instruction as to whether to participate in the communication game again or not is accepted from the participant at an end of the communication game. The refusal determiner determines whether or not there is the game apparatus which is refused to continue the communication game on the basis of the instruction accepted by the re-participating acceptor.
According to the fourteenth aspect, the participants in the communication game are registered, and an instruction as to whether to participate in the communication game again or not is accepted at the end of the communication game, and therefore, it is easily know whether or not the continuation of the communication game is refused.
A fifteenth aspect is according to the fourteenth aspect, and the game system further comprises a difference acquirer and a difference determiner. The difference acquirer acquires a difference between the number of participants in a previous communication game and the number of participants in a next communication game. The difference determiner determines whether or not the difference acquired by the difference acquirer satisfies a predetermined condition. The refusal determiner determines to be the game apparatus which is refused to continue the communication game when the difference determiner determines that the difference does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
According to the fifteenth aspect, only when the difference between the number of participants in the previous communication game and the number of participants in the next communication game satisfies the predetermined condition, the game apparatus which is refused to continue the communication game is determined, and therefore, the restriction information can be updated only in this case.
A sixteenth aspect is a storage medium storing a game program of a game system performing a communication game, and the game program causes a computer of the game system to function as: a refusal determiner which determines whether or not one game apparatus is refused to continue the communication game by other game apparatus, and a restriction information updater which updates restriction information as to the communication game of the one game apparatus in correspondence with a determination result by the refusal determiner.
A seventeenth aspect is a game controlling method causing a computer of a game system to perform a communication game, including steps of: (a) determining whether or not one game apparatus is refused to continue the communication game by other game apparatus, and (b) updating restriction information as to the communication game of the one game apparatus in correspondence with a determination result by the step (a).
In the sixteenth and seventeenth aspects as well, similar to the first aspect, it is possible to reduce and avoid an illegal act of unexpectedly using the game program and an unpleasant act of performing excessive harassing behavior, etc.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of certain example embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.